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Since the store launched, I’ve gotten a few e-mails about how I normally go about baking and decorating cookies. Here’s my attempt to break it down — I live a rather haphazard life, but once in a while I find myself buckling the fuck down and getting shit in order.
Cookie baking is one of those times.
So here are the basics, and some tips I try to pay attention to when I’m baking.
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter — softened, @ room temperature
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
PREP:
Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
DIRECTIONS:
1. With an electric mixer (hand-held or standing), mix butter and sugar. Make sure the butter is room temperature! If it’s straight out of the fridge, I microwave it for 10-15 seconds.
I mix it until it reaches a fluffy buttercream icing consistency
2. Next, add the egg & vanilla extract. Mix. There is no picture because things generally look the same.
3. Then add half of the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt). Mix until all is incorporated.
Here it is, after step 3, starting to look clumpy.
4. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes together.
See how there’s no dough stuck to the inside of the bowl? Mix until this happens. If it doesn’t happen, your dough might be too wet — add a little bit of flour. If you’re using a hand-held, you may need to start using your hands at some point during this step. Either way, in the end you should be able to take a wad of dough & roll it in to a ball without any pieces of it sticking to your hands.
5. Prepare work surface:
A sheet of wax paper and some flour so the dough doesn’t stick to the paper. I do this because I’m lazy and I don’t want to wipe the counter down later. Also, the wax paper is essential for when you need to move the dough later (see step 8).
6. Roll out the dough. I don’t like super thick cookies so I generally stay around 1/8″
It looks SUPER thin but that’s because I did a supremely poor job of rolling out the dough on this particular night. The edges are much thinner than the middle. If this happens to you, just avoid the edges when you’re punching out the shapes, otherwise the thin parts of your cookie will burn quickly.
7. Punch away. But do not remove the letters yet!!
I always have fun trying to figure out how best to fit as many as possible into one sheet.
8. Place the ENTIRE sheet of dough, including the wax paper, on a baking pan and put it in the freezer for 10 mins. This process will make moving the cookies infinitely easier:
Above is dough hardened in the freezer. It’s easy to disfigure the cookies when the dough is soft and you’re trying to peel it off the workspace onto a baking sheet. It’s the difference between trying to move a thin sheet of glass and a thin sheet of jello.
Sometimes this (the little ridges around the dough) will happen if you don’t punch your letters all the way through. I drag a toothpick along the side while the cookie is still frozen to “shave” it off.
9. Place each letter about 3″ apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Insert in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 7-10 mins. I usually set the timer for 7 minutes, then check on it every minute thereafter until the edges are golden brown.
10. Let it cool on a baking rack.
Apparently it can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, but I try not to keep them for more than 1 week because…well, you sort of have to assume not everyone will eat it right away. After all, you can’t just be like, “Here, this is for you; you have 30 seconds to eat it since it’s already 14 days old.” Bad etiquette.
Hopefully any of the above helps. I’m not a professional baker or anything, so if there are any other helpful tips I would love to hear them!
Over & out!
Hey! Here is a tip when moving cookies to the cookie sheet…..use a flat spatula……works great and I saw this tip on a Martha Stewart show. I loved your tip about putting the whole thing in the freezer! Another tip I learned from Martha…..put your sanding sugar in a paper plate and use a thin icing on top of the cookie then dip the whole cookie in the plate to cover the whole top in crystals! Instant decor!
Hi Deena! Thanks for the great tips. I love sanding sugar — so sparkly!
Okay, so your cookies are absolutely beautiful! I’m in love. Also, the DZ turtle and letter cookies in your gallery were so perfect (though I may be biased.)
One thing that could help make the transition process of the sugar cookies even easier is to roll them out between sheets of Parchment Paper, put that straight on the cookie sheet, into the freezer, and then just take off the excess dough. The parchment paper can be used IN the oven– as in, the cookies can bake ON It! so, less transition, and less mess!!! Hope this helps!
oh, and no extra flour needed!
that’s a great idea!! even less steps = better for me
Jessica, glad you like those turtle cookies!!!
I totally do the parchment paper pre-rolling too!
hi, i might have missed it somewhere, but just curious as to how many cookies this recipe makes
thanks!!!
hi Kristen! It depends on the letter (or the size of the cookie cutter shape), but I found it makes anywhere between 2-3 dozen.
My dough is in a million pieces and will not roll in a ball, just falling apart! I’m about to throw this dough across the room
Oh no! Try adding a little bit of egg at a time, until the dough comes together — it sounds like the egg you added may have been too small.
I got it together, thank you!
Now on the the Zeta’s, whew! Did not consider what a big job this would be, I commend you haha.
Hi there! Love your site btw! Found it last week and have been coming back literally every day! When you transfer your cookies onto the baking rack after they have baked, do you remove the wax paper from the cookies to cool down or leave them on the baking rack?
Thanks Jenny! thanks for coming back so often!
I do remove the cookies from the paper before moving them to the rack. It’s not necessary , but I can squeeze in more cookies on the rack that way. I don’ t think keeping them on the wax paper would be a problem though, since they’ll still cool evenly. As long as you’re removing the cookies from the hot baking sheet, to prevent over-baking caused by continued transfer of heat.
Is the butter salted or unsalted?
the butter is unsalted, at room temperature
do not make the mistake I did of rolling it out all at once…it was way too big for my baking sheet, nevermind my freezer!
Are these just sugar cookies? I want to make greek letter cookies but I’m pressed for time and I was wondering if I could just by sugar cookie dough and then make my own royal icing. Would that work?
where do i purchase the cookie cutters???? i can’t find it anywhere on this site… i’m confused…
thanks